Always and Forever
by juicy-plum
Summary: Boy, has Ron messed up this time! He accidentally transports some of his classmates into the time of the Oregon Trail, and now they must make it through alive or else. Rating due to strong sexuality and language.
1. Introduction

TITLE: Always and Forever  
  
AUTHOR: juicy_plum  
  
SUMMARY: Boy, has Ron messed up this time! He accidentally transports some of his classmates into the time of the Oregon Trail, and now they must make it through alive or else. Rating due to strong sexuality and language.  
  
RATING: R for strong sexuality and language.  
  
DISCLAIMER: Do I own Harry Potter? No. All related characters, logos, and indicia are copyright of J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers.  
  
A/N: I must warn you now: If you don't like original characters or original characters mingling a lot with the original trio, then DO NOT read this! It is told from the point of view of an original character, Anna Kent. But don't worry, it'll still be primarily R/Hr. :)  
  
******************************************************  
  
CRASH!  
  
"Dang! Ron, what did you do THIS time?" yelled Hermione Granger.  
  
"EXCUSE ME, BUT I DO NOT APPRECIATE HAVING FROG GUTS ALL OVER MY HEAD!" I yelled.  
  
Ron Weasley was standing sheepishly over my seat in Potions class, having just dropped frog - frog - well, frog stuff all over me by what I would like to think was an accident. The Potions Master, Professor Severus Snape, had just left to do something.  
  
I love my life. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is honestly the best place in the world.  
  
Bullshit.  
  
Hey people. I'm Anna Kent and I'm a fifteen-year-old witch. Four years ago I received a letter telling me that I am magical and that I were accepted at Hogwarts. My parents were thrilled. I was not. I didn't want to leave my friends (my NORMAL friends I might add), but in the end I gave in and went to Hogwarts. And I'm fine now. I think.  
  
Really, I am. I have three great best friends: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Ron and Hermione are dating. Yes they are. Don't believe me? Fine then, read my journal and THEN you'll have proof. Hey! Don't open it up just yet! Trust me, in there you'll find a lot of confusing stuff that I think I need to explain to you first.  
  
You see, it all started about a year ago, when Harry, Ron, and I were in our Muggle Studies class. Why I'm taking it I don't know. I'm half-blood and grew up thinking I was COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY NORMAL, but what the heck. Professor Alcott was teaching us about the Oregon Trail and how Muggles survived on the long, treacherous trip without magic. But first we had to come up with our own ideas on how they did it for homework, and that's when Ron REALLY screwed up. 


	2. Who's With Me?

Ron had been pouring over book after book (which was quite a sight to say the least) about the Oregon Trail and finally he announced that he was ready to present his theory. Now of course mine was nice and simple: the Muggles were just plain careful. But no, that wasn't enough for Mr. Ronald Weasley!  
  
Ron, Harry, Hermione, and I were sitting in the otherwise deserted common room late one Tuesday night studying, when Ron suddenly said, "I've got it! I know just how to prove my theory to everyone! But I'm going to need your help."  
  
Harry looked up from his Potions book. "OUR help? Like, the three of us?" he asked, motioning to himself, Hermione, and I.  
  
Ron nodded. "Yes. And I need Professor Alcott's help too, but he doesn't need to know that," he smiled slyly.  
  
Hermione looked suspicious, and I didn't blame her in the least. "Ron, what exactly are you planning to do?" she asked cautiously.  
  
Ron looked quite proud of himself as he explained his plan to us. "Well, I won't tell you my theory yet, but I CAN tell you my plan. The four of us and Professor Alcott will go back in time to the Oregon Trail and live it! Then when we're through I'll explain my theory and we'll find out whether it's right or not! Isn't that just bloody brilliant?"  
  
I blinked. "And just HOW are five people supposed to travel back over one hundred years in time?" I asked him, setting my Arithmancy homework aside.  
  
"Actually, it CAN be done," said Hermione matter-of-factly.  
  
"How though? With a Time-Turner?" asked Harry, intrigued.  
  
Ron shook his head. "Not quite, but that's a good guess," he began. "Actually, Professor Flitwick was talking about a month ago in Charms. It's called the Time Charm, and it sends you back in time, up to five hundred years ago. They haven't figured out how to go farther yet, but they're working on it. All we'd have to do is use the charm and - BANG - we'd be in the year 1848!" Ron grinned.  
  
"How do you do the charm?" asked Harry.  
  
Ron took out a sheet of paper. "See all these numbers? They're the ID numbers of all the staff and students at Hogwarts. All I have to do is incorporate the numbers into the correct place in the incantation part of the charm and those people will travel with me back in time. Get it?"  
  
We all nodded.  
  
"But Ron," said Hermione, "this is very, VERY advanced magic. Are you sure you can handle it?"  
  
Ron nodded his red-haired head vigorously. "For sure. I've been practicing."  
  
Hermione smiled at him. "I'm glad to hear that," she said, and she leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.  
  
Ron's ears wen the color of his hair. "Thanks Hermione," he muttered.  
  
"Okay then Ron," I said, "are you SURE you have this all figured out? I mean, there's no fine print or anything in this deal?"  
  
Ron shook his head. "Nope. In fact, I'll bring the book along with me," he said, slipping a thick book into his bag. "Now who's with me?"  
  
Harry, Hermione, and I all exchanged worried looks. Ron had come up with some crazy schemes in the past, but maybe it was time we gave him a chance.  
  
"All right Ron," said Harry, "I'm with you."  
  
"Me too," said Hermione.  
  
They all looked at me.  
  
I sighed. "Oh, all right," I told them. "But if anything goes wrong, anything at all, it'll be your ass Ron."  
  
Ron rolled his eyes. "Don't worry Anna, it'll be fine," he said. "Okay, I'm going to start the charm now. Everyone get your bags and put a hand on the table."  
  
We did as told and I closed my eyes as Ron began reciting the incantation. As soon as he said the number "124567468", I felt myself being shoved violently off the ground as my friends and I left Hogwarts far below the dark sky where we were flying freely away. 


	3. Back In 1848

March 20, 1848  
  
When we hit solid ground again I looked down at my clothes to see that I was now wearing a shawl, long cotton dress, and brown leather boots. Not much of a fashion statement, but whatever. Hermione, Ron, and Harry were okay too, and we all congratulated Ron for getting us here safely.  
  
"Not bad Ron," I said.  
  
"Yeah, but where's Professor Alcott?" asked Harry, looking around.  
  
We began looking for him, but after a minute or so Hermione ran into a woman wearing a long green dress and matching bonnet.  
  
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Hermione apologized quickly.  
  
The woman turned around and we all stared, for there stood not Professor Alcott, but Professor McGonagall. She was looking quite annoyed and very stern.  
  
"Oh no," moaned Ron, "I must have said the wrong number!"  
  
"You certainly did Mr. Weasley," said McGonagall sternly, "and now would you mind telling me why the blazes I'm here?"  
  
And so Ron began the whole story of the Muggle Studies assignment and how he planned to show Professor Alcott his theory. When he was done he actually looked a little scared, as if McGonagall might lock him up in the jail across the street.  
  
But she didn't. Instead she just sighed and said, "Very well. This happened once before at Hogwarts when a young woman decided she wanted to live through World War II. Luckily it was Professor Flitwick and not I who got taken on that adventure. And correct me if I'm wrong, but in order to go back to the present we need to successfully travel the Oregon Trail all the way to the Willamette Valley?"  
  
Ron nodded. "Yes ma'am. That's- that's right." Hermione, Harry, and I were all staring daggers at him.  
  
"All right then. We'd better buy a few things. Follow me," said McGonagall, walking away.  
  
We all stared after her, our mouths agape. One of the most strict teachers at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was letting us off the hook just like that?!  
  
Ron frowned. "Either I just got away with the worst thing I've done all year," he said, "or this is just a dream. Pinch me, someone."  
  
I complied, reaching over and pinching him, hard, on the arm.  
  
"Ow!" he yelped. I rolled my eyes.  
  
Minerva looked back at us. "Come on children!" she called.  
  
We hurried to catch up with her, Hermione and I hitching up our dresses, and all of us squinting in the bright afternoon sun.  
  
Professor McGonagall turned a corner and we followed suit. We were in between two buildings, the general store and blacksmith's shop. McGonagall took out her wand and pointed it at her hand.  
  
"Hiciencala," she whispered, and instantly a sack of gold appeared in her hand.  
  
"Professor!" whispered Hermione urgently, "Isn't that illegal?"  
  
McGonagall gave her a hard look. "Do you have any better idea Miss Granger?" she asked sharply. Hermione shrank back and said nothing.  
  
"Let's go buy supplies," said McGonagall, and she lead the way into the store on our right with a sign out front that read MATT'S GENERAL STORE.  
  
The person behind the counter (Matt, I assumed) looked up when we entered.  
  
"May I help you?" he asked pleasantly, smiling.  
  
"Do you sell supplies for the Oregon Trail?" asked Ron, stepping forward.  
  
"Everything except the oxen, wagon wheels, axles, and tongues" said Matt, coming around the counter.  
  
"Wonderful," said McGonagall, smiling back at Matt. "First we'll be needing clothes. Five sets, if you have them," she turned to Harry, Ron, and I and said, "That gives us ten sets of clothing in all, or two sets each."  
  
"Right. Except we can do math," muttered Harry. I forced back a laugh.  
  
After getting clothes, bullets, and a bit of food we left Matt's to buy a wagon. McGonagall wanted to wait until the day we left to but a lot of food. Good thinking. I'm exhausted; I'll write more tomorrow. 


End file.
